Photos: Jessie Clewell and Nevin Pontious
Monterey Car Week has long been known for its pageantry. Perfectly restored classics sit on manicured lawns, supercars line hotel courtyards, and collectors chase record-breaking bids at auctions that are more like a viral event than a transaction. For all its spectacle, though, the week can sometimes feel a little distant, a little too polished for enthusiasts who first fell in love with cars through chipped paint, late-night drives, and parking-lot conversations. That's why Sportscar Vacationland is so refreshing—a reminder that Car Week doesn't always have to be about velvet ropes and multimillion-dollar machines.
The setting couldn't have been more different from the crowded streets of Monterey or the bustle of Pebble Beach. Tucked into the hills of Carmel Valley, Tira Nanza Winery played host to something that was more like a backyard gathering than an exclusive showcase. Rows of air-cooled Porsche 911s and boxy BMW M3s shared space with rally-bred Lancias and oddball builds that might not turn heads on a concours lawn but spoke directly to the soul of car culture. The cars were part of a bigger tapestry woven from live art, food, music, and conversation.
It was the kind of event where you didn't just look at cars, you stumbled into moments. A walk across the grounds might lead you into the Wheel Museum, an exhibit celebrating iconic wheel designs that defined eras of driving. Turn another corner and you'd find a rally-inspired Porsche 944 transformed into a living canvas, its body splashed with streaks of color thanks to paint-filled Super Soakers. A purple Lamborghini Diablo sat nearby, flowers spilling out of its cabin, looking less like an Italian supercar than a sculpture. They're all reasons why cars don't just live in garages or museums. They live in a culture that is constantly reshaped by the people who love and continue to preserve them.
As the evening settled in, the atmosphere shifted into something even more intimate. A giant movie screen rose to life under the stars as Petrolicious presented a selection of its most cherished short films, capped by the debut of a new feature on the legendary Lotec C1000. Watching with a glass in hand, surrounded by friends and strangers, the crowd was reminded that car culture is as much about storytelling as it is about price tags and horsepower.
By the end of the night, it was clear Sportscar Vacationland wasn't designed to outshine Pebble or outclass The Quail. It was created to carve its own space in Car Week, one rooted in community, creativity, and the kind of connections that happen when people come together around a shared obsession with any and all things automotive. In a week defined by luxury and prestige, this was almost rebellious in its simplicity, reminding everyone that car culture is strongest when it's inclusive, messy, and alive. Sometimes the most memorable part of Monterey isn't where the crowds are, but in the quiet valleys, a little off the beaten path, where the passion feels personal again.
